Ruined by Amy Tintera

Ruined by Amy Tinera

355 pages

(Published by Harper Teen)

Plot: When Emelina Flores' parents are brutally murdered and her sister Olivia taken away by the King of Lera, she plots revenge.  The King of Lera fears the magic powers of the Ruined people and will stop at nothing until every last one of them is dead. Unfortunately, not all Ruined are born with magic, and Em is one of those powerless few - even though her mother was a very powerful Queen. But, with the help of her Ruined friends, Aren and Damien, Em comes up with a plan to infiltrate the Lera throne by marrying Prince Casimir.  Pretending to be a princess from another kingdom, Em, along with Aren, have successfully tricked the Lera royals.  But, Prince Casimir is not what Em expected him to be, and the more time she spends with him she realizes he's nothing like his father.  Falling for the prince was not part of the plan, but everything Em holds dear rides on her playing her part.  Em must choose between her people and her love, but either one is deadly.

Review:  Ruined by Amy Tintera was one of the best books I've read so far this summer.  It's right up there with the Winner's Curse series by Marie Rutkoski.  Tintera does a great job bringing Em's world to life and she has you really caring for the characters.  I enjoyed the gradual relationship between Em and Cas. It was very believable since Em had a lot of tragedy and anger to deal with.  I also enjoyed the POV switch between Em and Cas throughout the story.  It gives the readers a lot of insight as to why certain characters act the way they do.  I'm very curious as to the extent of the Ruined powers.  Tintera gave us just a taste of it with Aren and Olivia. There is a lot at stake for Em and Cas with all the bad blood between Lera and the Ruined, so it's hard to see how they would ever be able to continue their relationship.  A fast-paced, and exciting read I just couldn't put down until the last nail-biting page! Recommended for ages 13 and up.
 
Rating:  5 out of 5 stars! A Must Read!